Mia, an expert in meditation and wellness practices, leads a transformative body scan meditation. Listeners explore their bodily sensations, fostering greater self-awareness and acceptance. This calming practice serves as a foundation for those looking to create a holistic wellness plan. Mia emphasizes the importance of relaxation and reflection in enhancing overall health, making this guided meditation a perfect prelude to mindful planning.

“Planning is deciding in advance, after taking the time to get centered.” – MiaLet’s make time for your health.We recently ran a week-long planning event where we took women through the steps of making a 6-week wellness plan.You can go through the whole training here, and in this episode I walk through some of the key questions posed in the first three sessions.In this episode we share the 5 steps of the FLOW Planning Method — center, video, decide, schedule and follow through.Mia shares a few key questions that are a part of the Make Time for Your Health Planner.#1. Ask why you want to make time for your health? Ask 3 times.#2. Make a list of thhe obstacles that keep coming up.#3. Make a list of all your wants — whether they are old or new.#4. Decide your next step for each want. Remember your next step can be to let it go forever or until another season.#5. Let your gut and your why guide you in choosing your top 3 priorities for the season ahead.“With meditation, you become a sensitized superhero, completely in control, with endless possibilities at your fingertips.” – Tara StilesThis meditation is a great way to get centered before sitting down to make a plan — especially a wellness plan. We took it out of a longer session, so that you can use just the meditation. Go to the previous episode to fit this meditation into a bigger framework.Once you have the sense of the direction you are going, we have compiled a playlist of our best wellness episodes to help you follow through.You can also download the full playbook with tips from each podcast episode. Just remember to decide what you want first. The expert episodes are meant to support your dreams, rather than tell you what your dreams should be

“If you can rest your body, if you can rest your mind, sleep just happens. It's a side effect.” –Kali PatrickCan’t sleep? It’s the worst. Whether you can’t fall asleep or stay asleep or get quality sleep, not sleeping impacts everything! Sleep is a hot topic in the FLOW365 community right now, and I know too many women who aren’t getting enough sleep. That’s why I’m so excited about this conversation with Kali Patrick, an adult sleep coach.Poor sleep affects movement, mood, and what we eat, so you really need to prioritize sleep when we are making time for your health. What does “good sleep” even mean? First, Kali says we need to look at our whole sleep experience, not one night. We often create bigger sleep problems by getting in our own head about one or two bad nights of sleep.The first step is actually having a sleep vision. “I need to sleep better” isn’t going to motivate you. You need to ask yourself: What’s important about getting better sleep?We talk about: Setting sleep goals — and knowing how to support yourself to get there with doable changesGiving yourself enough sleep opportunity and setting boundaries with yourself and others to promote good sleepHow to deal with middle of the night wakingSimplifying your bedtime routineThe difference between recreation, rest, and sleep … and how it affects what you do before bedHave a sleep rhythm and understanding that you can get back to if you choose or end up out of it for a nightABOUT KALIKali Patrick is an adult sleep coach and #1 bestselling author of Mastering Your Sleep Puzzle: Your 12-Week Guide to Sleeping Better. She helps stressed-out tired people reclaim their sleep, energy, & enthusiasm for life. Kali blends her training as a nationally-board certified health & wellness coach and therapeutically-trained yoga teacher into a practical and flexible approach to help busy people improve their sleep long term.Kali’s personal experience with both insomnia & burnout add a different dimension to her approach and make her a leading—though often contrarian—sleep expert. Kali believes that everyone has the ability to sleep naturally without any of the products, pills, potions, & gadgets marketed by the $65 billion sleep aid industry*.Learn more about Kali and her programs at KaliPatrick.com.LINKSFree 30-min Clarity Call (required entry to 1-1 coaching)Course: The Sleep AcademyBook: Mastering Your Sleep Puzzle: Your 12-Week Guide to Sleeping Better Freebie: Lifestyle Habits Wrecking Your Sleep (sample book chapter)Twitter: @KaliSleepCoachYouTube: https://youtube.com/@sleepcoachFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaliPatrickCoachingWebsite: https://kalisleepcoach.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/KaliSleepCoachLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalipatrick/DOABLE CHANGESAt the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:SIMPLIFY YOUR BEDTIME ROUTINE. Pick one thing you do before bed to set yourself up for good sleep. You could do a meditation or rub oil on your feet. Maybe you have a calming tea. Don’t make it complicated. Pick one thing that is restful for your mind or body.IDENTIFY YOUR SLEEP VISION. “I want to sleep better” or “I want to get 8 hours of sleep” isn’t a vision. It isn’t going to motivate you to make change. Ask: What’s important about getting better sleep?” or “Why do I want better sleep?” What passion or action or driving force in your life can’t happen without sleep?CHANGE YOUR SLEEP MINDSET. How do you talk to yourself when you wake up in the middle of the night? Do you think you’re lame for being in pajamas at 9PM? Do you you say, “I’ll never get to sleep?” Start noticing how you talk to yourself around sleep. Just noticing can be your first doable change. Then see if you can shift the script.

“Get rid of the all or nothing mindset that it needs to be some super intense thing.” –Dr. Anthony BalduzziDo you need different food and exercise in your 40s and after? Is it too late to start working out? I’m so excited about this conversation with Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, founder of The Fit Mother Project. We talk about long-term health as a motivator and how to actually make change happen as we age.Why does it feel like what was working doesn’t any more? And what can you do about it? Dr. Anthony says the margin of error goes down when you don’t have as much estrogen providing energy, bone strength, and vitality. That means we need to do strength training, really get control of our nutrition (we’ll talk about some shifts here), make sure you’re moving, take the right supplements, and optimize sleep.If you’re looking at that list and thinking, “I don’t have time,” we’re going to talk about pulses of exercise, how to mix cardio and strength training, and shifts in food that can make a big difference. Plus how these changes can give you more energy … that can help you do more of the good stuff for your body.We talk about: Having a standardized healthy breakfast and getting more protein in your dietThe need for movement AND workoutsExperimenting to find what feels good for your bodyStarting strength training — it’s not too late and it doesn’t have to take hoursMicro workouts, combining cardio and strength training and ways to trading intensity for timeThe importance of recovery timeABOUT DR. ANTHONYDr. Anthony Balduzzi is a health and weight loss expert and the founder of The Fit Mother Project and The Fit Father Project — the leading health & weight loss programs for busy moms and dads over 40. Dr. Balduzzi holds dual degrees in Nutrition & Neuroscience from the University Of Pennsylvania and  a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Balduzzi is most proud of the fact that he's helped over 30,000 families in over 100 countries lose weight and get healthy through his programs.LINKSThe Fit Mother Projecthttps://www.youtube.com/@FitMotherProjectMENTIONED LINKSEmpowered Food Choices with Tess Masters DOABLE CHANGESAt the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:DIAL IN BREAKFAST. Having a standardized healthy breakfast is a great way to start the day. You want some healthy fat, some protein, lots of vitamins and minerals. Have a plan and keep it simple. You could have an egg with sauteed greens, other veggies or berries. You could do overnight oats with hemp seeds, chia seeds, and almond milk. You could do a smoothie with protein powder, almond milk, and veggies. You can eat the same thing everyday or swap out what veggies you have with your eggs or what fruit you put in your smoothie. Some of these things you can even prep ahead. Dial in breakfast and see what that does for your day.BUILD DAILY MOVEMENT. In addition to working out, we just need to move more. Walking is great. Where can you add a walk or even better, several short walks, into your day? Can you walk for 20 minutes in the morning? Walk around the block between calls? Take a family walk after dinner? Schedule time in your weekly plan. See if you can walk every day for a week.ADD A MIXED WORKOUT. You can do a metabolic resistance training workout, that combines cardio and strength training. Think high intensity, lower time. Yes, save time and get an effective workout! You can find examples from Dr. Anthony (see links). Do this one to three times a week. Track what you do. What is actually doable for you? If a 30 minute workout once a week is what’s doable, start there.

“I believe in doable and done over perfect and procrastinated.”– MiaAt the end of every episode, I share 3 doable changes. Why? Doable changes are the key to all the big changes we want in our lives. And no matter how busy you are, doable changes work.Often when we decide we want a change, we try to take on all the parts at once or try to take a giant leap from where we are that is too hard or unsustainable.Then with a list in hand, of unchecked items, because we just made it 5 minutes ago, we start to feel overwhelmed or behind. That feeling does not help us take action.For years, I craved change. I was constantly starting a million things, doing them half assed until I could no longer bear it, then hiding, then repeating. I felt like I was part of the movie Groundhog Day!The problem was I’d try to change everything all at once, from what I ate to how I worked to my exercise routine — oh, and I would start at 5:45 am with meditation. Honestly, meditation was on my calendar for years! It tortured me, until I actually made it “doable.”Now, instead of “trying” to make a million changes at once, each week there is one thing that I actually work on. By focusing on something each week, I have found that at the end of the year, I have a beautiful set of practices or habits that are genuinely mine.You can develop new habits or practices too. Getting into FLOW doesn’t have to be daunting. You can make meaningful change in your life by choosing doable changes and committing to them.We are going to focus on food and wellness this month. I thought I would share a few tangible examples of how some of these have played out in the food and wellness area.Have you signed up for Make Time for Your Health? (Event square)14 years ago, I needed a doable change to get healthy. I had gotten some advice to go raw vegan and basically detox. I really wanted to follow through but that really did not feel at all doable to a non-cook with 3 kids under 5. To make it doable, I ate basically the same things everyday for 3 months. That got me the food change I was looking for. Once I was eating a new way and had some health and energy changes, I was able to add in more variety, but I need to make it as simple as possible to make the change doable.3 years ago, giving up alcohol was a doable change one week. I decided to not drink in any circumstance for one week. Of course that week there were a few tempting scenarios — a work party at my spouse’s work where I felt awkward, a very long day that I traditionally would have ended with a glass of wine, and a relaxed Sunday where my husband cracked open a cider. The “change” was really about riding the wave of discomfort when temptation arose. The second week, I chose a doable change for work while staying focused on alcohol. I had not made a choice not to drink ever, but I wanted to see what I could do with the discomfort. Sometimes a smaller window makes a change feel possible, and you can choose it again and again. Three years later, I am still alcohol free.114 days ago, I made a commitment to do Qigong every day. I made it a doable change and it became effortless. It felt so great on my body and soul. I have done it almost daily since. A few weeks ago, I went on a family vacation and could not find the space to do it. The truth is, I could not find a quiet space inside with Internet connection. So this week, my doable change is to practice outside without a computer some days, so I have that as a tool too. I felt different on vacation. Everything feels better with my daily Qigong practice. I’m committed to it, now my practice needs to get looser and flexible.Sometimes a doable change is finite. When we had Jadah Sellner on the show, one of the doable changes we shared really resonated with me. It was to make a self care menu. It was a small step I could take towards aligned self care in my current season. This was a step that was doable in a full week—and then it was done. A similar doable change was Jill Avey’s suggestion ot make a don’t list, while ending some things on the list took time, making the list could happen in one week. Other finite doable changes are get out in nature during the week, make a stress list, have a moon ceremony, get better roasting pans. These have all been doable changes that I made happen by defining in an easily actionable way and  fitting them into my plan for the week.There are also doable changes that I always come back to. Hydration, meditation, regular social media posting and exercise are examples of these. I feel like I encounter obstacles or a season changes or I change, and I need to figure out how to make that thing doable again, even if it felt like a pretty settled habit. My brain tries to tell me that I should not need to focus on this thing again, but when I take the time to make it doable in my current season, the change feels like way less effort. I actually just got a glass half gallon container that has made tracking water so easy in this season where I can’t seem to remember what I did an hour ago!The great thing about doable changes is they work for whatever kind of change you want. Not sure where to start or what to do? Start with how you want to feel and what would help you feel that next week.We have a huge collection of doable changes in our collection. You can listen to just about any episode of the podcast and find three options of simple steps you can take to help you make change in your health and wellness, food, work, or other parts of your life.Get started today.Get 100+ Doable Changes with Planning Sheets!MENTIONED LINKSSlow Down and Reach Your Goals with Jadah SellnerBeing Enough with Jill Avey

“A mother's love liberates.” —Maya AngelouOur kids’ teen years can be a struggle and a disruption, or they can be the medicine we need to connect to our kids AND our purpose.What does talking about this have to do with what we do around here? Many of us plan for the physical hours of mothering in the early years, but we rarely consider the time it takes to process the mental load of the later years.Listen in for all the details. Read the post for the basic idea.A few years ago Sil Reynolds and I created a container for a group of mamas for five weeks. Sil offered us this definition of motherhood, “Allowing our kids to become themselves.” I love this definition for mothering kids of all ages, and it helps me understand what has worked and what has not. Our job is not to be perfect. Our kids grow as much from what we do right as what we do wrong. Openness to evolve has been most helpful.I believe the work is ours, and often we make it about our kids.I did a lot of work on parenting in the early years that led to work on family values, family meals, less stuff. We loved the work of Kim John Payne who wrote a book called Simplicity Parenting that led to fewer toys and activity and no media. It was actually the foundation for what became Plan Simple Meals. It was simple at the beginning. As our kids became tweens and then teens, it got harder for me and my husband to agree, because we each got triggered in different ways.My experience of helping my teen who was really suffering two years ago started like one would expect. Hours combing through therapists. Daily emails to colleagues and friends who might have ideas. It was one deadend after another, until I totally surrendered.I saw the gift that was in front of me not only to help her, but to heal generations before and after us. I saw my responsibility in the situation. I saw the only way I could tap into my mama instinct in this extreme situation was to be 100% present. Sometimes that looked like sitting with her for 3 hours patiently waiting for her to eat. I started to see the connection between me being ok when she was not and her getting better. I danced with her. I hugged her often. I held my tongue hourly, and sometimes presence had me walking out the door alone.I didn’t talk about this at first. I wanted to protect my kids and to make sure I was healed too, but this phase, these challenges of motherhood kept coming up in our weekly FLOW365 calls. I wasn’t the only one spending hours looking for a tutor or therapist while not getting work done or having things fall apart at home. I wasn’t the only feeling like I wasn’t taking care of my body because I was taking care of something else.Often we think that parenting teens is less intensive than parenting younger kids, but really things just shift. Our teens still need us, but in different ways. Our role is still to allow our kids to become themselves, and that doesn’t mean stepping back.The world really wants you to parent from the outside, but this phase needs you to source from the inside.Here are 3 keys that have helped me LOVE being the mom of 3 teens (and they are still working as I move into the parent of a young adult too!).Listen. Kids want to be heard. When your teen opens up to you, try to listen without jumping to conclusions, judging them, or even trying to come up with a solution (unless you are asked).It’s hard to listen without fixing, but it builds trust and encourages them to come to you in the future.How can you listen? Each kid is different, but try: Going for a walkDuring car ridesWhile cooking or doing other things around the houseSaying goodnight, sometimes this end of the day opens them upHow do you listen without fixing? My daughter and I danced together. My son is a big fan of  the  90-second hug, which I heard about from Danielle Laporte. Mirror what you see and hear. Try simply, “I hear you.”Notice when you are projecting your fears or your own experience. Hold back in the moment, but do deal with it later.Be present. We think our teens want more independence and space from us, but teens need more emotional help than they let on. A CASA study showed that 80% of teens wanted to have dinner with their families more.Plus, the brain is not fully developed until the mid 20s. Teens need guidance and support. Because of their hormones, teens are highly susceptible to stress.So what can you do? Be present.Being present is different than the gesture of scheduling time to be with the kids.Trust that you know what your teen needs, just like you knew when your infant was hungry. If you are having trouble figuring it out, you are probably too busy.Presence needs time. If we are running around from 8 am to 6 pm, there isn’t a lot of time, and the energy we have when we are there may not be great. Try:Making a meeting for later. If you hear something, instead of reacting immediately, schedule time to talk about it later. You’ll be able to calm down, listen, and respond better. Asking for a break. Imagine you walk in the door, shuffling mail and groceries and thinking about your day, your teen pounces on you with a question. Tell your kid that if you answer now, you’ll give a false answer. Let them know when you can respond. Walking away. If you are really heated, try walking kindly to settle yourself to be present.To be present, get calm, stay close, offer loving attention. To be able to do this, take care of yourself — that’s the last, but maybe really the first key.Deal with your own stuff.I believe the work of mothering teens is ours, and often we make it about our kids. It’s easy to project when we are trying to listen to our kids. If we can deal with those triggers and projections on our own time, we are better able to listen and be with our kids.Remember that your energy is transferable. That means you need to tend to your nervous system. In FLOW365, we do this twice a month deliberately, but really everyday.When you take the time to center, you pass on your clear grounded energy to your kids. Calming your nervous system means you approach everything in less of a frenzy. If you tend to your nervous system first, you are more likely to find solutions more quickly and with more ease when you make calls or do the things you need to do for your kid.Tap into your village! It’s just as necessary as when your kids were little. Your village may have or help you find resources you need. You can talk with people about your own stuff, instead of interjecting that into conversations with your kids.And finally, let’s talk about hormones. Your kids' hormones are spiking and yours are dipping, but all of them are wacky. Understand what’s happening with you and how to work with the changes. You can work with them even if emotions are running high on both sides.JOURNALING QUESTIONSAnswer these for each person you mother.Who are you releasing into the world? What gifts has this child given you?Who have they become while living with you so far?What do they REALLY need from you now to become that person?What is the path there?MENTIONED LINKSParenting Simplified with Kim John Payne Connect, Collect and Then Direct with Kim John PayneFrom the Inside Out with Sil ReynoldsMothering with Sil ReynoldsAll About Hormones with Dr. Cabeca

When we come in tune with the moon cycle, it’s a way to come in tune with ourselves, and then when we come in tune with ourselves and our environment, there’s an invitation to become more present.”  – Ezzie SpencerWhat happens if you throw out what you think you know about calendars, goals, and noise—the magazines, commercials, comments from family members …?My mission is to help women move away from all that outside noise and tune into their own bodies, minds and souls so that they can guide themselves towards their best lives.I used to describe myself as a weird mix of very practical and a bit woo. I’ve come to realize that a lot of what I used to call woo is my most authentic feminine self… just living in a masculine world. I realized my conditioning around the calendar and masculine planning systems did not serve me. When I finally let go of the noise, I found the solution that let me shed 85 pounds, write a book, be there for my kids in ways I did not think a working mom could, and so much more.Tracking your energy levels and planning from an informed place can be a transformative practice — and the moon cycle fits right into that. I learned from FLOW’s resident shaman, Julie Hannon; Sarah Jenks;  and Ezzie Spencer.Learning about the moon cycles helped me track my natural tendencies and rhythms. That means I can make plans that reflect my natural flow. This has helped immensely with both my productivity and happiness. It took me out of the model where every day is the same, and into a more informed space of each day being a bit different, and that cycle repeating every 29 days.The coolest part about the moon as it relates to women and planning is that it helps us understand our own unique, consistent patterns — the tired days, the energetic days, the focused days, the loving days each repeat themselves in a very logical way. By knowing our energy, we gain a deeper understanding of our natural rhythms and patterns, and can identify our most productive times and low energy times.Our culture has told us that low energy times are “bad” and we need to always be productive, but this is not the feminine way. When my energy is low, and I rest, ideas often flood in. My creativity is high.The trick is to understand my energy highs and lows and craft a life that lets me respond to my energy accordingly.To do that, you need to know not only the cycle of the moon, but what that means for you! You do this by tracking.Tracking our energy empowers us to make more informed life choices, such as adopting healthier sleep routines, food habits, and stress-management techniques. This self-awareness helps recognize early signs of exhaustion, enabling us to take timely breaks and prevent long-term fatigue. By honing the skill of energy tracking and informed planning, we unlock the door to a more balanced, productive, and fulfilling life.Download the Moon Journal here to track your energy with the moon cycle.New Moons and Full MoonsEach part of the moon cycle has an energy, and you’ll find that through tracking. The new moon and full moon are special times in the cycle.Keep track of the full and new moon dates, so you know when each one occurs. You can find the full and new moon dates for your location online or in a lunar calendar. New moons are for intention setting. I start my 90-day seasons on a New Moon, and our FLOW365 planning retreats often fall near new moons as well. “Intentions set on a New Moon will be blessed and held into reality.”– Sarah JenksFull moons are a time to manifest and release. Using the full moon as a symbolic time for self-reflection, manifesting, and release, can be a powerful practice for personal growth and self awareness. Here are some ideas of how to use/interact with the full moon.Create a Full Moon Ritual: Establish a personal full moon ritual that resonates with you. It could involve meditation, lighting candles, performing a simple ceremony, or spending time in nature. The important thing is to make it meaningful and consistent.Set Aside Time for Reflection: As the full moon approaches, set aside some quiet time for self-reflection. Reflect on the past month and your progress toward your goals. Celebrate your achievements and acknowledge areas that need improvement.Write in a Full Moon Journal: Consider keeping a full moon journal to document your reflections and intentions. Write down your successes, challenges, and any feelings that arise during this time. Journaling can help you gain clarity and identify patterns in your life.Release What No Longer Serves You: The full moon is associated with release and letting go. Take this opportunity to release any negative thoughts, habits, or situations that are holding you back from a better life. Write down what you want to let go of and then burn the paper as a symbolic act of release.Set Positive Intentions: After releasing the old, focus on setting positive intentions for the month ahead. Think about what you want to achieve, how you want to grow, and what changes you want to make in your life. Write down your intentions in a positive and present tense manner.Visualize Your Goals: During your full moon ritual, take some time to visualize yourself living your best life. See yourself achieving your goals and feeling fulfilled. Visualization can help align your subconscious mind with your intentions.Practice Gratitude: Express gratitude for the positive aspects of your life. Gratitude can shift your focus from what's lacking to what you have, cultivating a more positive mindset.Take Inspired Action: While the full moon is a time for reflection and setting intentions, remember that action is crucial for creating a better life. Take small steps each day that align with your intentions and work toward your goals.Stay Consistent: Make this practice a regular part of your life. Consistency is key to personal growth and positive change. Embrace each full moon as an opportunity to assess your progress, adjust your course, and continue on your journey to a better life.I didn’t really understand the effect of the moon cycle for me until I started tracking. Tracking doesn’t take much time each day, but it will give you lots of useful information to help you plan around your own energy. Some things you can track— days when:Your period if you still get it. You feel like you are getting a coldYou feel particularly socialWhen your energy is contagious and you could sell anythingYou wish you could stay in bedWhen ideas just keep flowingWhere you feel uncomfortable in your bodyWhen you feel like you could eat everything in your kitchen (or the opposite)Where you feel super connected to your partnerYou wish you could just be aloneYou need some serious self-careThat you feel naturally productiveWhen you really want to clean and declutterDownload the Moon Journal now to get started.MENTIONED LINKSEzzie SpencerSarah JenksJulie Hannon

“Freedom isn't being able to do what I want whenever I want to. Freedom is not feeling pressure about it, and by planning it out, I don't feel the pressure.”–Lori OvebroecklingCan you be supermom AND feel super balanced? Lori Overbroeckling, author of Secrets of Supermom: How Extraordinary Moms Succeed at Work and Home & How You Can Too!, says yes! As the mom of four with a corporate job and a business, she’s learned how to make time for all the things that fill her cup. First, let’s clarify. Does it work perfectly every day? No. Are there stressful moments? 100%, but overall, she feels balanced and good about how she spends her time. It wasn’t always that way. Weekly planning helped turn things around.  It allowed her to see things that weren’t going to work and choose to move them or delegate them or cancel them. In other words, she got to be intentional instead of putting out fires all the time. Her plan, and this idea is not new if you have been around for a while, includes not just work, but all her family stuff, a meal plan, workouts … all the stuff in one plan. We talk about: Planning from calm instead of panicHow essential white space is in your planBuffer time, adjusting the schedule as you go (without just throwing it out), and the mindset of letting go and moving on when your plan doesn’t go as plannedHow to ease the pain of back to school schedule changes (or any big schedule change)Cutting out extras to be able to provide more emotional support during transitionsCarrying a piece of summer into fall to ease transitions in our family and our workABOUT LORILori Whitney Oberbroeckling is a mom of four, corporate leader, podcaster, productivity expert, and author of the book Secrets of Supermom: How Extraordinary Moms Succeed at Work and Home & How You Can Too! She is passionate about helping parents who want fulfilling careers–or side hustles or passion projects–while also wanting to feel present and connected to their families.LINKSFacebook Page: https://www.Facebook.com/secretsofsupermomFacebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretsofsupermomAmazon Link to Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VSDJ398/Website: https://www.secretsofsupermom.comInstagram:  https://www.Instagram.com/secretsofsupermomLinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/secretsofsupermomMENTIONED LINKSParenting Simplified with Kim John Payne Connect, Collect and Then Direct with Kim John PayneDOABLE CHANGESAt the end of every episode, we share three doable changes, so you can take what you've heard and put it into action. Action is where change happens.Even though we want big change, it’s really little things done over and over that make the difference. So pick a doable thing. Put it in your calendar. Weave it through your days for a week and then move on to the next one. It will have a snowball effect.Here are three Doable Changes from this conversation:PLAN YOUR WEEK. Plan from calm, not chaos. That means planning before you are behind or putting out fires. I plan with FLOW365ers on Friday afternoon; Lori does it Sunday morning. Pick a time before your week starts to plan your week. Include all the pieces—work deadlines and meetings, kid activities, meal plan, work out, date night, whatever else you have going on—in your plan. Making a plan means assigning times when you will do things, not just making a long list of things you need/want/should do. Assess whether you can do something or if you need to delegate (somebody else picks up kids on Wednesday) or moved (reschedule and appointment) or broken down (first step happens this week, next step happens later). ADD IN WHITE SPACE. Pick a block of time for white space, where nothing is scheduled in your calendar. If, like me, you’re likely to fill in that white space, make it a color. I use yellow and call it gold space. Don’t schedule anything in that space. When you get to it, see what you really want to do with that time. PREPARE FOR A TRANSITION. Whether you’re talking back to school or another transition, start before you get there. If it involves an earlier wake up, start dialing back bedtime now. Clear some extra space in your calendar to deal with the emotions — yours or your family’s or your team’s. Choose one thing to carry over—like afternoon swims or after dinner walks—from the current season to make the transition less abrupt.

“When we declare, we do. When we think, we dabble.” -Mia MoranI used to have a bookshelf of productivity books (mostly unread), a recycle bin of half-used calendars and planners, and too many days where my bag was filled with ideas and reminders on sticky notes and envelopes.I know I’m not alone, because over the years of helping families plan healthier meals, I kept hearing it again and again. We just can’t get together for family dinner. I’m too busy for selfcare. I don’t have time to cook the meals I really want to eat. If I work, I won’t be there for those I love, much less take care of me.We are all busy. As entrepreneurs and loving women, as passionate people who want to explore our interests and live healthy lives, we struggle to find the time or  make the time.I learned I couldn’t separate my healthy lifestyle goals, my family, and my spirituality and self-care from my work planning. Once I get it all on one page and look not for balance, but for FLOW between the different parts of my life, it starts to make sense.This isn’t a quick fix solution, nothing that really works is. Instead you focus on breaking down your goals and continually flowing forward. And when you get off track, you have your system to come back into FLOW.I created the FLOW Planning method, because it was what I needed, and as I shared what I was doing, other women got interested. I want you to keep moving toward the life you want: a life where you reach your big business goals—and have time for family and health and spirituality too.So grab a notebook and a pen and the calendar on your phone. I’ll walk you through my process (and share my daily planning pages). At the end I will share the easiest way to put this process into action.All Your Life on a PageThe FLOW Planning Method is a mix between journaling and calendaring. It is a way to keep moving towards what you want, one season and one day at a time.It’s about knowing where to focus and what little things you can do in all areas of your life that will have a big impact.It’s about starting from a kind, gentle, centered energy — always.It’s about allowing yourself to imagine the best possible life, over and over, in each area of your life.The FLOW process breaks life into 4 categories:Food & wellnessLifestyle & familyOm (aka spirituality and self-care)WorkToo often  we commit to our work or parenting for a phase of our life, and ditch the rest. When you get really intentional in all 4 areas, magic starts to happen.Lean Into Your Feminine Energy with the FLOW ProcessRemember the FLOW brings together all parts of your life. As you go through the steps don’t separate out work and home and self-care and health.1. Tune in.Let your soul guide you. Don’t choose based on what you think you need. The feminine gets centered and gets connected to a vision before making any choices.This is when you engage your imagination, journal, meditate, walk, pull a card, open to a passage. Let yourself be guided and calm.2. Get everything out of your head and onto paper.We hold so much in our heads and it holds us back. Just the act of getting everything down on paper can greatly affect your productivity, your creativity, and decrease your stress level. In the FLOW Planning Method, we call this transfer from head to paper.3. Trust your intuition and vision to help you make a plan for the next 90 days.I always encourage women to think about their future self. 5 years tends to be a good timeframe, but really its about dreaming where money and current situations are no longer an issue. Design your top goal in each of the 4 FLOW categories for the next season. It’s more productive to focus on the next 90 day season.Stillness and slowing down are essential parts of the process. Listen to what really feels right, what you want to lean into.Once you identify your goals, know your why. What is going to motivate you to keep moving toward those goals when life starts moving fast again, when you aren’t still and quiet and focused? What will keep you going when things aren’t going well? Your why can do that.4. Flow your goals forward each month.Once you have your 90-day plan, break it down and keep flowing forward. You look at: What you will do this month to move toward your 90-days goalWhat could get in the wayWhat can you do to streamline the little things that get in the way of your big thingEach month you ask yourself meaningful questions:Who have you become in the past 4 weeks that is different than you were when you set your 90-day goal? Does anything need to change?Is there a rhythm that needs to be learned?What can I let go of?5. Set yourself up weekly.Once a week you look ahead for the week and make a plan to keep flowing things forward. 3 importantYou make a meal plan, which decreases stress, helps you hit your food and wellness goals, and lets you move food forward all through the week. And when you eat better, fuel your body better, you have more energy for all the other things you plan to get done.Each week you decide what habits to track. I am a big fan of veggies, water, and supplements. Other ideas are exercise, smoothie, Instagram, meditation, quality time with a child, hubby time, writing, journaling, planning (how meta!). Make a checklist for the habits you are building.6. Create a daily practice.A daily practice may sound like one more thing to do, but a well-crafted practice supports and sustains you. And knowing what you will do — and why you are doing it throughout the day keeps you on track.When we declare, we do. When we think, we dabble. So declare and get doing.Cast your visionDecide how you want to feelWrite down 3 things you are grateful forIdentify 3 things you are doing towards your goalsBlock off 30 minutes for email and phone callsNote what you will eatBlock all your timeTrack what actually happens7. Celebrate and critique your progress.I have a practice of going back through each day and time tracking. I do this because I do not always follow my own plans and I am trying to get better about that. I just try to pay attention if I got lost in Instagram instead of writing a blog post or making dinner. You can do this without judging or berating yourself. Just use the information to make choices moving forward.In my daily practice, I move anything that does not get done to a new time. I find that helps me be accountable to what I want to do and the time it takes. It’s easy to lose track of what got done and what didn’t. Pausing to take stock of what actually happened in a day, week or month, helps you understand the reason you could not finish a particular project. It lets you reset for the next time with a more realistic view. But it also lets you stop and celebrate what you did accomplish. Recognizing our own progress is super important to our momentum and mindset.Put Your FLOW Plan TogetherYou can easily put this into practice in a notebook. The important thing is to get dreaming, get writing, and get practicing. But if you’d like different steps set up for you, I’ve created a planner that does just that.The FLOW Planner gives you space to commit to all the parts of your life on one page. There is space for your big goals and the steps that move you toward them — and for the little stuff we need to do every day.Get the FLOW Planner. It comes with a free class to help you make the most of your planner so you can move closer to your dreams through the small actions you take each dayAnother way to get into FLOWDoing things differently takes time, so have patience and kindness to yourself. That said, I have found that doing this work with other people is hugely helpful. It’s important to find somebody who wants to make change too, who won’t sabotage your goals.I have an amazing community of women getting into FLOW and moving forward in their businesses, wellness, passion projects and more. They are writing books, decluttering the house, getting more energy and better sleep, feeling more connected to their kids, learning new things, starting and growing businesses.And they support each other daily.FLOW365 combines the FLOW system, coaching and community, and other supports — retreats, planning sessions, and more to help you move forward. You can learn more about FLOW365.Intrigued? Let’s talk about what you could do with more FLOW and support.

“Today is the best time to start. Our tomorrow self is eagerly waiting. Our yesterday self no longer knows best.” —MiaI wanted to share with you something that I teach, a simple tool that is behind all my big changes, and in recent years FLOW365ers.How often do you get a download or an idea but struggle to bring it to life because your plate is so full? This gets even harder when you want a life of balance, a life that lets you be there for those you love and where you are not burned out.I have lots of planning tools and balance tools in my toolbox. I’ll be sharing more of them, but I wanted to start with the one that kickstarted my health transformation 14 years ago — and has helped me every day ever since: the Today Sheet.How Do I Find the TimeA few years ago, maybe 7, I went on the road to promote my book Plan SImple Meals. I thought I’d be teaching meal planning and how to feed your kids healthy food.Instead I kept getting the same question over and over: How do I find the time? I saw a sea of women who were frustrated because they literally couldn't figure out how to get to work, get their kids, get home, and make dinner. And I realized it wasn’t about dinner. This question came up around so many things that we say we want to do: exercise more, write a book, launch something new in our business, declutter the house, spend time with our kids, get back to a hobby like dancing or photography, meditate … We all have the time we need to make the changes we want. But we don’t always see it. Why? Because we are so busy doing everything. And there iis too much noise to notice.Doing is necessary, but it needs to be balanced by being. Another way to look at this is that “the doing” is a masculine energy, and we live in a world that is skewed very masculine. So let’s start by getting comfortable with the feminine and bringing it into how we think of tiime. Rather than starting from the long to-do list that you feel rather detached from, start by getting centered and allowing the vision to come forward. We make better decisions when we come from a place of feeling centered. We are better able to schedule from a place of being decided.Once we have our vision and we’ve scheduled, we need to follow through. But here’s what makes this process different: we aren’t working from the assumption that every day is the same or that you are working 9–5.Following through recognizing your cycles and seasons.Learning to Bend TimeI struggled to answer that question women asked about how to find the time. It seemed that as I was making these big changes, there was time.Time to learn how to cook. Time to eat raw vegan and be a great mom and grow a design company. Time to write a book as a dyslexic human who believed she wasn’t a writer. Time to educate my kids on the road and speak at schools and eat well. I had always been told I had ADHD, or that I was just “creative,” because finishing on time or early was not my thing. But in the case of these important life things, in this phase, I was doing pretty great.I started to look at what had worked for me.It started with a health change. I was running a design company that was going well. I had a husband I loved, and three great kids. And I was exhausted and 70 lbs overweight from my three pregnancies. One day, staring at a stack of coffee cups and wondering how I could have no energy, I drew a line in the sand. It was time to get healthy.It started with getting really clear on what I wanted, what was essential.The first step I took: Ask around the office, “What would you do if you wanted to get healthy today?” Everyone said I should go to a yoga class, so I called the babysitter and said I was going to be late. For the first time ever I took care of myself instead of going home. The yoga class blew my mind. I think I cried. It was such a release. I’m an introvert and I wasn’t great at talking to people at the time, but I felt like I needed to meet the teacher. After class, I introduced myself and I told her I had a design company and that I was ready to get healthy. She said, “Listen, just come to my house tomorrow. I know how to get healthy, and I need a website.” She was a raw vegan and showed me a new way of eating. [ Her name is Taylor Wells. You can find a conversation with her here.] She wasn’t a cook, which was great because I didn’t know how to cook even an egg or pasta. Taylor talked about a food change that was outside of diet culture.She told me what to eat for a day. I shifted a few fruits in the morning or the veggies in my salad, but basically I ate the same thing every day. It was about getting my minerals back up. (It’s similar to what I share about Tess Masters). This simple, repeatable way of eating transformed my health. That was my first Doable Change. (More  on this in another episode.) I tell people the weight melted off, because that’s what we talk about most. But more importantly, my allergies went away, my energy went up, I stopped getting ear infections all the time. I felt like I had done 15 years of therapy in a week. I made a change in food that wasn’t about really about food. It was about choosing to take care of myself, about what I needed — and learning to make change happen.  On the day I changed my food, Taylor said something essential beyond what she told me to eat: Each day choose the three most important things that you're going to do for that day. Focus on being in gratitude and abundance. She also suggested that I buy a book by Abraham Hicks about the power of our thoughts. I wasn’t paying attention and I bought an Abraham Hicks page-a-day calendar with an inspirational quote on the front and a space on the back. My Today Page ProcessI started a new morning practice. I would read the quote on my calendar and then I would turn the page over and say in the present tense what I wanted in a positive way. I wrote: I am healthy and strong and full of energy. Then I would write three things I was going to do to be healthy and strong and full of energy. It might be a green smoothie or stopping work to go to yoga. It could be drinking water or focusing on sleep or just being with my kids. And time expanded. I went from a person who could barely get out of bed in the morning to get to work and had no time for myself to taking five times as long cooking and being more present with my kids and husband and working more efficiently and joyfully. Work was flowing in. I was going to yoga every day. It was working. Try the Today PageTry this process yourself. It’s very simple. You can write it on a Post-it note.Set your own affirmation or goal — the one that most supports your future self.. Remember to write it in the present tense. Then list three things you will do today in support of your affirmation. Note when you will do them. If you are an “always phone in hand” person, set a reminder.This is the foundation of the Today Page. It also includes space for gratitude, to put your three things into time along with other things happening in your day, food to fuel your, habits you are working on, and more.It is deliberately simple, and when you use it day after day it works.We have a few ways to learn more about the Today page. Make Today Matter (a free, live workshop)From Overwhelm to Ease (a free, ecourse)The Daily FLOW plannerEach day we get a chance to make today matter. Start today by setting your affirmation and three things — and try the Today page to see how it can start helping you bend time.